Upon becoming general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, President Xi Jinping put forward a frank assessment that endemic corruption among party elites and cadres threatens to delegitimize the reform process and undermine the CPC’s rule. Xi announced a broad anti-corruption campaign and vowed that the party’s graft watchdog would be“striking tigers and flies at the same time” – a signal that both prominent officials and grassroots cadres would be equally held accountable.

In the two years since the anti-corruption campaign began, it has proven to be the longest reaching and most impactful clampdown effort since the reform era began in 1978. Anti-graft inspectors have launched thousands of investigations, ending the political careers of hundreds of officials engaged in bribery, embezzlement and acquiring illicit funds through land deals, official infrastructure projects and land development. The scope of the anti-corruption efforts has not spared those in the CPC’s inner circle, creating anxiety within the party.

Zhou Yongkang, one of China’s most powerful men until his retirement in 2012, has been the most prominent official probed for abuses of power. During his tenure as the head of the CPC’s political and legislative affairs committee, Zhou’s only superiors were the president and prime minister. He was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) and oversaw the state’s internal security, judicial system, law enforcement, and paramilitary operations, operating with a larger budget than China’s military.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) – the party’s formidable anti-corruption agency – has also detained reputable officials known to be Zhou’s protégés and opened investigations into the extraordinary wealth of his family members. It is widely believed that the long delays in announcing the probe against Zhou were due to huge inner-party resistance, indicating that Xi engaged enormous political capital in order to create conditions for the investigation.

Nile Bowie is a columnist with Russia Today, and a research affiliate with the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), an NGO based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.

Washington's Blog
Reprinted with permission
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Projects developed had nothing to do with public housing. Berat Albayrak heads Calik Holding. He's well connected. He's Erdogan's son-in-law.

He may be linked to the corruption probe. He builds power plants in Turkmenistan. He's involved in an AKP backed oil pipeline project. He has other government related business.

The current scandal stems from a year ago anonymous letter. It was sent to police. It alleged Ankara and local government authorities illegally facilitated construction projects. Huge profits were involved.

Surveillance, phone tapping, and other investigatory methods followed. They produced considerable evidence of corruption. Government ministers are involved. Million dollar bribes were paid.

State-run Halk Bank head was found with about $4.5 million in cash. It was at home. It was stashed in shoe boxes.

Millions more were seized from other suspects. Over a dozen are accused of bribery and money laundering, as well as gold and antiques smuggling.

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Waves of protests swept Bulgarian cities again on Sunday, as tens of thousands took to the streets despite the government’s resignation. Bulgarians demanded the ‘mafia’ to leave, but it wasn’t clear who could unite them as the country’s new leader.

Anti-government slogans and demands to end monopoly powers were again in evidence on the streets of Bulgaria following the government’s failed attempts to negotiate with the public and its eventual resignation last Wednesday.

Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Blagoevgrad, Ruse, Sliven and Varna saw crowds of people protesting against the corruption, poverty and high energy prices that consume their wages. The largest demonstration took place in the Black Sea city of Varna, with about 50,000 people taking part, according to the local media.

Outgoing prime minister Boiko Borisov was reportedly hospitalized with “high blood pressure and general weakness” amid the mass protests. Borisov pledged to cut electricity prices by 8 percent and even promised to revoke the license of the Czech power supplier CEZ just before his resignation.

Although Borisov and his rightist GERB party have lost a lot of support over the last year, the opposition Socialist Party is not trusted either, according to polls.

“It is obvious that the protesters are not united and this could very quickly destroy the enthusiasm of the people,” Georgi Trendafilov, a demonstrator in Sofia told Reuters.

President Rosen Plevneliev meanwhile stated that the interim government would implement the previous commitments and stick to the 2013 budget.

However, the president’s latest initiative to ease public anger failed on Saturday. Representatives of the protesters refused to participate in the establishment of a public council intended to represent people's interests, saying that they could not “sit at the same table with those they were fighting.”

For three weeks Bulgaria has been rocked by demonstrations, sometimes violent, which began as a small group of young people protesting against high electricity bills. Soon they were joined by thousands outraged by the overall low living standards.

Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, but it is still behind other member states with wages, at about half the EU average. Public services are also poor despite having the lowest public debt in the bloc. The country is also excluded from the free travel Schengen zone over graft and corruption concerns.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict bid an emotional farewell at his last general audience on Wednesday, acknowledging the "rough seas" that marked his papacy "when it seemed that the Lord was sleeping."
In an unusually public outpouring for such a...

The real story behind how the largest private prison company bought the naming rights to Florida Atlantic University's football stadium.

February 22, 2013 |

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This week, Florida Atlantic University announced a deal to rename its football stadium after GEO Group, one of the largest private prison companies in the world. The deal came with a $6 million dollar price tag, the "largest one-time gift in the history of FAU athletics."

But GEO Group has a history of human rights abuses that it would rather keep secret, especially once 30,000 screaming football fans begin seeing the company's corporate sponsorship. So, in all the excitement surrounding the announcement, GEO took to quietly covering up parts of its shady past--by scrubbing its Wikipedia page.

As Brave New Foundation’s Jesse Lava reported, a GEO Group employee deleted the entire “controversies” section of the company’s Wikipedia page and replaced it with some glowing propaganda. Before GEO’s lackey doctored the article, it outlined a slew of horrific abuses in the company’s prisons, including reports of squalid conditions and the deaths of dozens of prisoners.

Wikipedia editors quickly noticed the changes and restored it to its original form Wednesday evening. The highly educational, yet alarming article is available for your perusal—controversies and all— here. And just before they changed it back, Wikipedia took a jab at the company that tried to game its netizen-dependent editing process, posting this delightful disclaimer on the top of the page:

“The article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links.”

But the Wikipedia cover-up is just the beginning of this story's deceit. Details are emerging on how the GEO’s stadium buyout is only part of a university-prison circle jerk of unprecedented proportions. As the New York Timesnotes, GEO Chairman George Zoley, and several other employees in the ranks, are all alumni of Florida Atlantic University. And GEO Group’s headquarters sits only four miles away from campus. GEO and university officials laughably claim that the deal is strictly philanthropic, and in no way, shape or form a corporate sponsorship, or, worse, a way to recruit new employees and desensitize people to the horrible private of for-profit prisons.

But marketing professionals have trouble taking that claim in good faith. They say slapping your name in huge letters over an ocean-view stadium hosting America’s most revered sport is probably more than an act of compassion.

"If it's pure philanthropy, you don't ask for your name to go on the stadium," Don Sexton, a Columbia University marketing professor told The Huffington Post. "The only reason you want your name on the stadium is because you want to get something back."

HuffPost’s Chris Kirkham reports a potential ulterior motive for GEO’s $6 million dollar deal with FAU. Private prison critics say the public university donation is part of a grand plan to “gain influence with state and local public officials who decide whether to hand out contracts.” Kirkham notes that GEO has a rich history of shelling out for favors:

“For the last three election cycles, the GEO Group has donated more than $1.2 million to the Florida Republican Party. Republicans in the state legislature last year came close to approving a massive expansion of private prisons in south Florida, a deal that the GEO Group mentioned frequently in calls with investors.”

Unfortunately, the local press has swallowed the prison company's propaganda. The Florida Sun-Sentinel praised the deal for going “a long way toward addressing the financial challenges facing FAU's athletics program.” The paper even made a suggestion for the new, $6-million name: "Owlcatrez"-- a pun on the university's mascot.

But many civil rights groups say that universities shouldn't prop up a company soiled by human rights abuses simply to support oversized football stadiums. GEO Group runs a string of for-profit prisons that violate basic human rights. As SB Nation reports, "The company was the operator of the infamous Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Mississippi, a prison for 13- to 22-year-old inmates convicted as adults for crimes committed as juveniles. A 2012 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, as detailed by National Public Radio, found that prison personnel engaged in "systemic, egregious and dangerous practices," from failing to provide educational and medical services to actively assisting and engaging in gang fights. The report found that prison staff had engaged in sexual activity with inmates "among the worst that we've seen in any facility anywhere in the nation," activity which included the prison warden taking an inmate out of the facility to a motel for sex."

Steven Hsieh is an editorial assistant at AlterNet and writer based in Brooklyn. Follow him on Twitter @stevenjhsieh.

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri look on during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Pakistani officers scuffled with followers of a cleric at a mass anti-government protest, firing shots in the air to disperse the demonstrators. Thousands gathered in Pakistan’s capital to call for revolution and the resignation of the government.

Followers of Canadian-Pakistani Sufi cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri marched through Islamabad as part of a two-day mass protest again government corruption. Qadri demanded that the Pakistani parliament dissolve itself by 11:00am local time (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

"Morally, your government and your assemblies have ended tonight," he said in a public address on Monday. "I will give [the government] a deadline until tomorrow to dissolve the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. After that, the people's assembly here will take their own decision."

The situation spiraled out of control when the deadline passed, as scuffles broke out between protesters and the police. Officers fired tear gas shells at the ground and shots into the air to disperse the crowd.

Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran movement speaks before a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad January 13, 2013.(Reuters / Mohsin Raza)

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri rest during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri shout slogans during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Qadri’s supports pelted police with stones and beat them with sticks. Six activists were allegedly injured in the altercation. In an email to AP, Qadri blamed the security forces for the violence, claiming that they attempted to arrest him.

Thousands continued to rally in central Islamabad in support of the cleric after the spate of violence. A city official told Reuters that there were around 30,000 people remaining the streets.

Barricades were set up around government buildings in the center of Islamabad, and additional security personnel have been deployed. Mobile phone networks have also been shut down in the area, as authorities fear cellphones could be used to detonate bombs.

Qadri has demanded that the Pakistani governmental elections scheduled for this spring should be delayed until corruption is stamped out in the current regime.

The Pakistani government warned that they will not concede the cleric’s demands following the outbreak of violence. "We will not accept Qadri's pressure because his demands are unconstitutional," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told local television channels

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri hold placards during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

­

Military puppet?

Although Qadri enjoys significant support among Pakistan’s lower- and middle-class, some suspect that he is being backed by the Pakistani military.

The cleric has denied any involvement with the military, although he said that the army could form a transitional government while new rulers are elected, giving rise to speculation over his connections to the military."I have no link with military institutions," he told Reuters earlier. "I am one of the biggest staunch believers… of democracy in the whole world."

If the Pakistani elections proceed as planned this year, it will be the first time a civilian government has conducted democratic elections in the country’s history.

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri chant slogans during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Tens of thousands Malaysians have come out to protest in the country’s capital against the government calling for reforms and possible ouster of the ruling coalition. The rally comes before Malaysia’s general elections, which are due by mid-2013.

According to local police, 80,000 people marched through Kuala Lumpur to the legendary Stadium Merdeka, where the current governing alliance declared independence from Britain in 1957, reported The Malaysian Insider.

Opposition estimates that the turnout was even higher, at about 100,000, according to Malaysia Kini.

The opposition argues that the country’s electoral register is fraudulent and has pro-government bias.

A protestor waves flag during a grand gathering at the historical Medeka Stadium (Independence Stadium) during a rally for electorial reforms in Kuala Lumpur.(AFP Photo / Saeed Khan)

During the rally people wore various bright colors including yellow and green, each representing an activist group.

The rally resembled a festival with food sellers and other vendors coming out to the streets. People carried flags and signs and some even wore Guy Fawkes masks, as popularized by the 2005 film V for Vendetta.

A protestor wearing a Guy Fawkes mask waves a Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) flag inside the historical Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium) as he takes part in an opposition rally ahead of looming elections in Kuala Lumpur.(AFP Photo / Mohd Rasfan)

Opposition leader Lim Guan Eng spoke at the protest urging for change from the country’s Prime Minister Najib Razak's and his Barisan Nasional coalition, which has held power for the past 55 years.

The ruling coalition has been in control of Malaysia since independence from Britain.

“Our government is so corrupt. The government should listen to us. They need to reform. For more than 50 years they have ruled Malaysia,” rally participant Azlan Abu Bakar told News24.

This stands in stark contrast to the previous demonstration held in April 2012 when at least 1,000 people were injured and hundreds detained after police Malaysian police fired teargas and chemical-laced water at 25,000 protesters gathered calling for electoral reforms.

The ruling government’s term is due to expire in April with elections to be held by mid-2013.

The ruling block has also been experiencing waning support. It lost more than a third of its seats in parliament to the opposition in 2008, as the charges of corruption grew.

Protestors climb for high angle view outside the historical Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium) as they take part in an opposition rally ahead of looming elections in Kuala Lumpur.(AFP Photo / Mohd Rasfan)

Protestors climb for high angle view inside the historical Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium) as they take part in an opposition rally ahead of looming elections in Kuala Lumpur.(AFP Photo / Mohd Rasfan)

When institutions protect the liberty of individuals, greater prosperity results for all. Economist Adam Smith formed this theory in his influential work, The Wealth of Nations, in 1776. In 2013, his theory is measured by the Index of Economic Freedom. The world average score of 59.6 was only one-tenth of a point above the 2012 average. Since reaching a global peak in 2008, the WSJ and Heritage note, economic freedom has continued to stagnate.

From North Korea (the least 'free') to Hong Kong (the most 'free') the following heatmaps break down the 177 countries covered across 10 specific categories: property rights, freedom from corruption, fiscal freedom, government spending, business freedom, labor freedom, monetary freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom, and financial freedom. On the plus side, average government spending scores improved. Unfortunately, this was matched by a decline in regulatory efficiency, as a number of countries hiked minimum wages and tightened control of labor markets. The world’s most-improved country is Georgia, and the country that saw the biggest decline was Belize (we blame McAfee).

The United States, with an economic freedom score of 76, registered a loss of economic freedom for the fifth consecutive year, and its lowest score since 2000. Its score is 0.3 point lower than last year, with declines in monetary freedom, business freedom, labor freedom, and fiscal freedom.

Mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Jankovic speaking after an anti-corruption watchdog found irregularaties in his assets and bank accounts, and those of Prime Minister Janez Jansa, on January 9, 2013.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa has offered to resign as party chief over allegations of fraud from the country’s anti-corruption watchdog.

The premier offered a conditional resignation on Wednesday based on the opinion of his center-right wing party, who will cast a vote of confidence over the accusations and the leader’s defense.

“I will offer my resignation from the SDS (Slovenian Democratic Party) leadership to the party's council on Wednesday,” Jansa said on Tuesday.

"If my arguments do not satisfy them that will also mean my resignation as prime minister," he added.

Slovenia’s anti-corruption watchdog accused Jansa of withholding information of bank accounts and personal assets with a value of 210,000 euros between 2004 and 2012.

Mayor of Slovenia’s capital city, Ljubljana, Zoran Jankovic had also apparently concealed 2.4 million euros in assets and bank accounts, which the watchdog revealed on Tuesday.

Jankovic, also leader of the center-left opposition group Positive Slovenia, came under fire after the watchdog opened an investigation in 2011 on all parliamentary leaders to clear out corruption in Slovenia.

The commission's findings come as thousands of Slovenians have protested over corruption in political parties and the government’s austerity measures.

On Monday, protesters demanded the resignation of all City of Maribor council members because of their association to former Ljubljana Mayor Franc Kangler, who resigned over corruption allegations on December 6, 2012.

A similar protest was held in the city on December 3, 2012. Police forces arrested some 40 people during the demonstration.

The recession-hit eurozone state has seen a wave of protests in recent months over public sector spending cuts and tough austerity measures.

Eric Zuesse
Here is Putin in extemporaneous discussion and interview (translated into English):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBTBBNOtbhM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjrlTMvirVo
The second of those videos shows Putin offering Russia’s billionaires the choice...

What are the implications, nationally and internationally?
Eric Zuesse, originally posted at strategic-culture.org
U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest job-approval rating in Gallup’s latest poll (which was...

Eric Zuesse, originally posted at strategic-culture.org
As Liz Goodwin and Michael Isikoff noted on 11 October 2016 regarding a recent wikileak:
The Clinton email states: "We need to use our diplomatic...